A Clinical Approach to the Human Brain
MIT's Dr. Byrne leads this seminar on how the human brain works in health and disease, built for both Brain and Cognitive Sciences majors and outside students. Sessions cover regional brain anatomy, the cellular function of neurons, synapses, and neurotransmitters, and how common drugs alter brain chemistry. The course uses disease states to illustrate normal brain function and reviews experimental animal studies that revealed key discoveries about neural mechanisms. Each class pairs a clinical case from Byrne's own practice with a scientific article, so students see the research literature applied directly to real patients. The materials are provided through MIT OpenCourseWare under a Creative Commons license, with readings and case discussions forming the core structure rather than a single set of graded assignments. It suits anyone wanting a grounded, case-driven introduction to neuroscience with direct clinical framing.